Take The Train To Town: The Story of the Bonner County Railroads (Vol 1)

Take The Train To Town,The Story of the Bonner County Railroads (Vol 1)
by Paul Rechnitzer (Author)Publisher: Comanche Press (2006)
ISBN-10: 1886591083ISBN-13: 9781886591080
Paperback8.5 x 11 inches, 275 pages + appendix

Railroad History in Bonner County - The Northern Pacific, building from Spokane east, reached Bonner County in 1881-2. The line crossed lake Pend d'Oreille on a long bridge, went up a sandy point, around the north end of the lake and then up the Clark's Fork River and on to the east. The Great Northern built through Sandpoint from Bonners Ferry to Albeni Falls/Newport and then south to Spokane in 1892. The Spokane International built east from Spokane towards Coeur d'Alene and then north up the Hoodoo Valley and an easy crossing of the Pend Oreille River into Sandpoint in 1906. It continued on to Bonners Ferry and Canada. The Idaho & Washington Northern built south out of Coleman to Spirit Lake, Rathdrum and Grand Junction and north to Newport and then on up to Metaline Falls in 1907/08.

The Great Northern and Northern Pacific merged with the Burlington Railroad in 1970 to form Burlington Northern. The Great Northern line from Spokane to Newport was abandoned and the portion from Newport to Sandpoint was leased to the Pend Oreille Valley Railroad to serve the lumber mills along the river. The Northern Pacific from Spokane to Sandpoint remains in use as the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (they merged in 1996) main and the Great Northern from Sandpoint to Bonners Ferry is the Burlington Northern Santa Fe main to the east. The original Northern Pacific around the lake was leased to Montana Rail Link and is still in use to Laurel, Montana.

The Idaho & Washington Northern was absorbed by the Milwaukee Railroad in 1957 and later abandoned between Grand Junction and Newport. The Pend Oreille Valley Railroad operates the line to Metaline Falls.